We Are Ready to Talk to Turkey; SERZH SARGSYAN president of Armenia.

We Are Ready to Talk to Turkey
By SERZH SARGSYAN

Mr. Sargsyan is president of Armenia.
FROM TODAY’S WALL STREET JOURNAL EUROPE
July 9, 2008

YEREVAN, Armenia

The problems of newly independent nations attempting to build a
novel, democratic way of life did not end with the break-up of the
Soviet Union. Armenia, a small country strategically located between
Turkey, Russia, Iran and the energy-rich Caspian region, is a case
in point. Postindependence Armenia’s potential for peaceful
development has not been realized as best it could.

During the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkey closed its border with
Armenia as an expression of ethnic solidarity with Turkic
Azerbaijan. The regrettable result is that for almost 15 years, the
geopolitically vital border between Armenia and Turkey has become a
barrier to diplomatic and economic cooperation. It is closed not
only to Armenians and Turks who might want to visit their
neighboring countries, but to trade, transport and energy flows from
East to West.

Strategic projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and
the projected Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad bypass Armenia, while the
existing railway between Turkey and Armenia remains shut. And the
Armenian people are not the only ones who have suffered from these
restrictions and detours. All countries in the region, and the
broader community of European nations, pay a high cost for these
unnatural barriers to commerce, progress and international
cooperation.

The time has come for a fresh effort to break this deadlock, a
situation that helps no one and hurts many. As president of Armenia,
I take this opportunity to propose a fresh start – a new phase of
dialogue with the government and people of Turkey, with the goal of
normalizing relations and opening our common border.

After my election in February, my Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gül,
was one of the first heads of state to congratulate me. Turkey’s
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested that the doors are
open to new dialogue in this new period.

There is no real alternative to the establishment of normal
relations between our countries. It is my hope that both of our
governments can pass through the threshold of this new open door.
Establishing normal political relations would enable us to create a
commission to comprehensively discuss all of the complex issues
affecting Armenia and Turkey. We cannot expect tangible progress
without such structured relations. Only through them can we create
an effective dialogue touching upon even the most contentious
historical issues.

Already, on a more personal scale, many Armenians and Turks have
found ways to get around the closed border. They take advantage of
regular charter flights from Yerevan to Istanbul and Antalya. There
are numerous bus and taxi routes through Georgia, and container
trucks even make the long detour, enabling some trade between our
two countries.

And just as the people of China and the United States shared
enthusiasm for ping pong before their governments fully normalized
relations, the people of Armenia and Turkey are united in their love
for football – which prompts me to extend the following invitation.

On Sept. 6 a World Cup qualifier match between the Armenian and
Turkish national football teams will take place in Yerevan. I hereby
invite President Gül to visit Armenia to enjoy the match together
with me in the stadium. Thus we will announce a new symbolic start
in our relations. Whatever our differences, there are certain
cultural, humanitarian and sports links that our peoples share, even
with a closed border. This is why I sincerely believe that the
ordinary people of Armenia and Turkey will welcome such a gesture
and will cheer the day that our borders open.

There may be possible political obstacles on both sides along the
way. However, we must have the courage and the foresight to act now.
Armenia and Turkey need not and should not be permanent rivals. A
more prosperous, mutually beneficial future for Armenia and Turkey,
and the opening up of a historic East-West corridor for Europe, the
Caspian region and the rest of the world, are goals that we can and
must achieve.

Mr. Sargsyan is president of Armenia.